“It was a misunderstanding,” Divina added from behind him. The wolves regarded her. Aric blinked a few times, stunned his mate would defend the human. “Ted, go back to the diner. Tell Sonia I’m okay and I’m working on what she left me.” Divina turned a pleading expression toward Aric.
He tightened his lips. She didn’t have to say anything. He could tell what she wanted—for him to let the human, Ted, go. But Aric couldn’t do that. The human had threatened his mate.
“We’ll talk about it later,” she offered Ted hesitantly.
Later? Now there’s going to be a later? What the actual fuck? There he was, camping out so she wouldn’t feel the pain of their bonding, and she was setting up a date with a motherfucking human right in front of him? Aric snarled, and his wolf wailed within him.
The squeak of the gate sounded, but he wouldn’t turn. With his back to Divina and the human, he stood beside Bruce and Smitty. He heard the human hurry off, but it did nothing to quell his anger about the situation. Instead, he stood tight with control over his wavering beast. The animal wanted free, wanted blood—human blood. Shaking with effort, he held the animal at bay, for Divina.
Once the human was far enough away, Aric started walking. He needed just a little bit of distance. He needed to breathe. With some space, he could work out the agitation and face his mate with a better perspective. A moment away, that was all he wanted. He wouldn’t be gone long, and he wouldn’t go too far.
CHAPTER 18
Deleting the pictures of the creature and the spell books would only solve half the problem. Sure, Ted had no proof, but he’d still proclaim from the rooftops about the little fire creature. The ramifications of having her magic out there caused Divina to tremble.
She had set in motion the part of the prophecy that didn’t even apply to her. Humans were going to find out about witches. The last time that happened didn’t go so well. She shuddered at the thought. How fitting that fire had caused this, and now that might be her fate. And if it wasn’t fire, it could be worse—experiments, maybe. Whatever it was, she didn’t want to find out.
Once the immediate threat of Ted and his pictures had abated, Divina retreated into her head. She heard the men outside the property but couldn’t make out what they said; the world around her was merely an out-of-focus buzz.
What she couldn’t deny was the stab through her chest. Her knees buckled, and she fell to the wooden porch. With the breath knocked out of her, her eyes widened as she looked to the spot where Aric had stood only moments ago.
Gone.
She clutched at her shirt, fisting it over her heart. Tears of pain welled in her eyes, and she cried out before she could stop the sound. Her lungs seemed to lack the ability to fill with air despite her desperate tries. She gasped and held her chest with one wobbling arm.
He had promised her he would stay near. He promised her he wouldn’t leave. He said he wouldn’t cause her pain. The thought of his betrayal burned her eyes, causing more tears to flow while she gasped for air, mouth opening and closing like some sort of fish. Divina’s chest felt tight. Her throat closed, and no air came or went from her lungs. Pressure built in her face. The pain blossomed outward from her heart, spreading to the tips of her fingers and toes. Crumpling in agony, she felt like she was dying.
“Bastard,” a male voice hissed beyond the property line. “Go get the idiot. He’s probably in a heap outside your house.”
Through the tears, she saw the stout man just beyond the fence who had given the order. The younger, wiry-looking fellow mumbled a response before he strolled in the other direction.
“Do your best to breathe, dear,” the remaining man said from beyond the property line in a softer tone. When he reached for the gate, his hand bent in on itself and his face twisted in discomfort. Yanking it back, he looked around the hedges as though checking for something.
“Wards,” Divina was able to wheeze. It took too much energy to speak. She licked her lips and sucked in the smallest of breaths. “Protection,” she tried again.
The man’s lips tightened into a deep frown. Wrinkled creases formed at the corners of his eyes, and he nodded. “Wise of you. But if you want help and for this to go away faster, you need to take them down. It will stop if you two are together.”
She shook her head. “Can’t,” she gulped. “Not…me.”
If possible, the man’s frown deepened. He swiped a paw-like hand over his face. “Shit,” he hissed.
The man turned sharply as though he had heard something. Her gaze shifted in the direction he looked. The wiry man was carrying Aric, who had at least eighty pounds on him. Aric’s arm was slung over the younger man’s shoulder, and the two struggled to walk. With Aric’s head bowed, his wavy brown hair blocked his face. His free palm was flattened over his chest. The wiry man half carried, half dragged Aric along the sidewalk. Aric’s feet stuttered in an attempt to keep up.
“If this is what it looks like, I’m glad I’m single,” the younger man said.
The older man snorted. “It’s not usually. When we stay within our own, things tend to be much smoother.”
Divina’s arm gave out, and she collapsed flat onto the porch. Her lungs expanded ever so slightly when Aric was just beyond the property line. The ability to finally take in a cool breath still wasn’t enough. It was easier than before, and she no longer felt like she was dying, but she wasn’t comfortable.
“Well, what are we waiting for?” the younger man said after she had fallen. “Let’s put them together.”
“Can’t,” the older man announced ruefully. “Wards.”
“Fuckin’ witches, man,” the younger man hissed. She heard a heavy flop and thud, then a groan. She knew it came from Aric and assumed he had been tossed to the ground. With a little more strength now, she lifted her head to see the crumpled heap that was Aric. Her heart twisted in a new, painful way, and she let out a small whimper.
“Now what do we do?” the younger man asked.
“We leave them to it. Ain’t nothing more we can do.”
Divina watched the two men stroll away. They left Aric just outside the property line. He wasn’t moving. Her heart fluttered in fear. She took as deep a breath as her lungs would allow and pushed herself upright. Still weak in the legs, she tried to walk, but she seemed to lack the strength to do much of anything, her stumbling steps resulting in a fall. Gritting her teeth, she reached for the edge of the stair and tugged her body across the porch. As she inched closer to Aric, it became easier to breathe. The throbbing pain lessened in intensity but persisted.
Once she had slipped down the steps, Divina was able to pull herself up onto her knees. She gave thanks to all that was holy that she wouldn’t have to drag her body across the yard. “Aric?” she wheezed. He looked impossibly still. Her gaze locked on his form as she crawled, desperately seeking the rise and fall of his chest. She couldn’t understand why he’d do it. It didn’t make sense that he’d do this purposefully, knowing what would happen.
Again, tears welled in her eyes at the thought of his pain. What was wrong with her? The man had done this to himself. It wasn’t her fault. She shouldn’t be crying. She didn’t want to care about his pain. She didn’t want to care about him. He had violated her with this damn mating bite thing. But she couldn’t stop herself. The feelings she couldn’t explain—the empathy, the need, the desire for him—seemed intrinsic to her in some way. She had no control over it.
Once she got to the gate, Divina pulled herself up on shaky legs, feeling like a newborn foal as her knees wobbled while she attempted to balance. They were mere feet apart. She could see his chest as it rose and fell slightly. Relief filled her. She smiled as she exhaled the largest breath she had been able to muster since he walked away.
“Aric?” She tried to stir him.
Nothing.
Holding on to the gate, she opened it. The wards were to keep supernatural beings out, not keep her in. She stepped out onto the cracked sidewalk. With his eyes
closed and his hair covering half of his face, he twitched with a grimace on his lips. Falling to her knees beside him, she gasped as the full use of her lungs returned. Warmth flowed through her body. Blinking a few times, she gently touched Aric’s shoulder. Wide-eyed, she lost her breath for a completely different reason. Euphoric tendrils snaked their way through her fingers and up her arm. It plumed over her chest until she felt like she was floating on a cloud. She gaped as she stared down at Aric’s nearly lifeless body.
“Aric?” she tried again when she found her voice.
He stirred with a grunt. Her hand still on his shoulder, he rolled onto his back. His arms splayed at his sides, one landing on her knee. Another pulse of pure pleasure radiated through her, and she let out a moan.
What the fuck is going on?
CHAPTER 19
“Divina,” Aric rasped, his throat dry. He reached up to cup her face.
She tilted into his hand and smiled down at him. “There you are,” she cooed, running a hand through his hair.
Swallowing, Aric tried to ease his throat. “I’m sorry. I didn’t think I went that far.”
He held her gaze, searching her eyes. The concern he saw was for him. He’d expected to see anger, maybe even betrayal, but no. His mate was worried for him. Warmth flowed through him from where they touched. Relief followed suit, soothing him further.
“What happened?” she asked, resting a hand on his shoulder.
His smile fell as he recalled. It had happened, what? Ten minutes ago? But it felt like ages. The pain he had felt seemed to lengthen time, while her presence paused it. All he wanted to do was grab her and hug her to him. He didn’t want to have to explain.
Sure that a man lying on a sidewalk with a woman on her knees was out of the norm for this sleepy town, Aric pushed himself to a seated position, still weak. The break in their contact—of his hand on her face, and hers on him—sent longing through him. It had been hardly a second without her touch and yet he felt so starved for it, his wolf whimpered within him.
He swallowed hard as he regarded her. “You made plans with the human in front of me,” he admitted sheepishly. “And I got jealous. I only needed space. I wasn’t going to abandon you,” he quickly asserted, feeling that she needed to understand his intentions. He wanted to keep his word to her.
Divina furrowed her brow and leaned back. She blinked at him quizzically. “What?”
How could Aric be so enamored and so angry at the same time? “The human,” he hissed. “You’re seeing him later.”
“I need to figure out how to stop him from telling,” she finally admitted.
“Telling what?”
Turning away, she bit her bottom lip. Aric shifted his position and reached for her. “Let me help you,” he whispered.
He watched her throat bob as she swallowed. “I conjured… I conjured something, a thing. I don’t even know how I did it. He saw,” she admitted in a voice so thick with guilt that it cracked.
The weight of the situation slammed against Aric. If the council found out his mate had done magic, and pretty serious magic, before a human, she would be seen as irresponsible, exposing herself and others like her to humans. The sentence for that was a death so horrifying that Aric cringed.
His large arms came out and wrapped around her lush body as though they had a mind of their own. He pulled her into him, and she didn’t resist. Her head resting under his chin, she flattened her palms against his chest. He squeezed her for a moment and stroked her hair. “We’ll make this right,” he whispered.
With Divina’s cheek pressed against Aric’s, she slid her arms around him. She tightened her grip, and Aric’s heart swelled. This was a step in the right direction. Considering the last time he touched her, she ran away, they were making leaps and bounds.
He couldn’t let her be punished for an accident. He couldn’t let that human out his mate. Divina needed protection. He could run with her and hide. He could make it so no one found them.
“I want to talk to him tonight and convince him he didn’t see what he saw.” Her voice was tinged with uncertainty.
Running his hand down her dark hair, he kissed the crown of her head. “You can’t trust humans,” he said as he stared at the witch’s house. “Not with secrets like this.”
She stiffened in his arms. Pressure formed against his chest as she pushed against him. Despite his better judgment, Aric loosened his grip on her. She pulled back, still within his arms, and looked up at him. “I’m pretty much human,” she said with a hint of fear in her eyes.
He smiled down at her. This was something he could fix. He pressed his lips to the tip of her nose, and she didn’t stop or slap him. Thankful she had accepted his affections, he let out a breath. “You’re a witch. That’s not human. You can be trusted.” Using his index finger, he tapped the tip of her nose, booping her. He grinned, and took a moment to marvel at his adorable mate.
She lowered her gaze again, her mouth tightening into a thin line. Divina leaned forward and pressed herself against Aric’s chest, and warmth filled him like nothing he’d ever experienced. Sitting on that sidewalk, holding her for the rest of his days, seemed like the best plan he’d ever had. Squeezing, he hugged her tightly again. “I will make it okay. I’ll take care of the human.”
As soon as the words left his lips, she gasped and pushed hard against him, breaking their tender moment. “No!” Divina slipped out of his grasp.
Fighting the urge to reach for her, he regarded her curiously. “But he’s a threat,” he insisted. What didn’t his mate understand? This human threatened her life. Aric had to eliminate the threat. His wolf would have it no other way.
The two of them got to their feet. “This is my problem,” she said with her chin high. “I will deal with Ted. I’ll figure it out.”
He opened his mouth to respond, but Divina leveled him with a glare, clearly communicating that he needed to shut it. Aric closed his mouth and tightened his jaw. His wolf snarled within him. Neither of them liked it. “Divina,” he implored.
“No.”
He huffed. They were meant to be a team now. They were bonded and mates. He couldn’t let her do this on her own. “I’m your mate. I’m supposed to help you in times of trouble,” he explained, hoping to get her to understand.
“I made the mess, and I will find a way to clean it up. If I need your help,” she relented slightly, “I’ll ask for it.”
Uncomfortable, he shifted his weight from one foot to the other. His wolf paced within him, uneasy as well. Regarding his mate, Aric remained silent with a tight jaw. She didn’t know how to be in a pack. She wasn’t even in a coven. He should have expected her loner response. He’d have to teach his mate to be a part of a team. He couldn’t just do this for her; he needed to show her he respected her.
His wolf balked at the thought. The beast didn’t agree. But doing things his wolf’s way had gotten them in to this mess. The wolf needed to learn patience.
“Okay,” he conceded. “But promise me…” Lost for a moment, he stared into her pools of light blue. So much emotion flashed through them—fear, persistence, resolution. His mate was stronger than a human. He needed to remember that. No matter how human she looked and behaved, his mate was all witch. “Promise me you’ll come to me if it becomes too much.”
She nodded. “I will,” she said and lifted onto her toes, leaning her forehead toward his. Aric couldn’t prevent his smile as his mate offered him affection. He leaned his head to hers, and their foreheads touched.
Progress.
CHAPTER 20
As much as Divina wanted to linger outside, she couldn’t. There was too much to do. She had to work on spell casting and figure out a plan for how to deal with Ted and how to tell Sonia what she’d done. The longer she procrastinated, the less prepared she would be when Sonia got home.
When she told Aric she needed to go inside to work on spells, he only hesitated a few seconds before he relented and let her go. He promised
to stay outside. She didn’t doubt his promise. She knew they couldn’t handle that again.
Entering the house, she paused when a twinge of longing crept into her awareness. Not the pain of separation that she had come to recognize—this was something different, a need that churned deep in her belly and spread upward to her chest. Looking over her shoulder, she watched him walk toward the side of the house. She couldn’t imagine what the neighbors thought. There was this huge man essentially hiding in the bushes. How the cops hadn’t been called yet was beyond her.
Divina couldn’t think about that right now. Ted. Ted was the first obstacle. Convincing him that either he didn’t see what he saw or to keep his trap shut were her options. Eyeing the herbs and book, she pondered a spell. Mind-control spells were notoriously complex and draining—not to mention frowned upon by any witch worth her salt. With a shake of her head, she dismissed the thought. Casting hadn’t gone so well for her thus far; all she needed was to try to remove one memory and blow them all away. Worse, she could screw him up so badly that he’d be brain damaged for life. No, she couldn’t have that on her conscience along with everything else. She needed practice before trying anything remotely that powerful, if she ever did.
A hologram? Sure, that would work. He had seen some hologram she had projected onto the table. It wasn’t a fire monster. She scoffed, pretending he was before her.
Divina’s attention went to the wet spot on the carpet. Panning over to the overturned coffee table, she noticed the edges were singed black from where the little imp had once been. Sadness filled her when she thought of that cute fire critter and its short existence. That was her fault, too.
Returning the coffee table to its rightful place, she took a deep breath. The remains of the fire creature weren’t there. They had been chipped off, pieces of it on the floor. Crouching, she picked them up and held the remnants of the creature in her hands, just looking at them for a moment. She needed to dispose of it. Any proof it had existed would only further jeopardize her kind.
The Wolf of the Prophecy Page 13
